Concerns That Our Allowance Of Capitalism At Any Expense Is Wrong

Published on: Monday, August 22nd, 2016

Dear Dick,

Dick Smith and I share something, and that is a childhood enhanced by the Scouting/Guiding movement. The relevance of this is about setting values, and the Scout law encompasses the ideals of trustworthiness, loyalty, and helpfulness to other regardless of social class or circumstance.

So really it is no surprise that Dick has recently expressed the concern that our allowance of capitalism at any expense is wrong. He has been in the media recently highlighting the problem with the duopoly being held on our food production and retail sector by Coles and Woolworths that is damaging Australian food producers. He went so far as to speak on the record of the bullying tactics being used to get written contracts with food farmers, to then be informed that they need to accept an even lower price than originally agreed.

Croydon Conservation Society members wish to congratulate Dick on the stand made and also wish to lend support to an issue that is soon to be a world concern, and that is food security into an unknown future of potential water and food scarcity as the World, struggles to support it burgeoning human population in an environment under stress.

CCS is a strong believer of maintaining our Australian Food Agriculture as a non negotiable part of our future. To do this we must oppose a food retail sector that is a duopoly. The stranglehold on food producers is driving farm gate pricing to such low margins that farmers are likely to get out of the business. Australians will then be forced to consume produce imported from wherever it can be cheaply sourced, while shareholder profits drive these businesses to control our choices. This food is quite likely to be inferior, in terms of use of agricultural chemicals that we don’t permit for food use in Australia.

Since we “are what we eat” why would we allow this to be the future for our children and grandchildren? CONGRATULATONS Dick, please keep speaking out and using you voice of reason and Australian integrity.